Nisei
known primarily for his role as executive secretary of the
Japanese American Citizens League
(JACL) during World War II reflects on his life experiences, and declares with confidence that he would make the same choices if he could do it over again.

Synopsis

Masaoka begins his memoir by recounting his childhood in Utah, including the untimely death of his father and how his mother kept their family together despite considerable economic hardship. He then explains how he was introduced to the organization with which he is most associated, the JACL, in the 1930s.

Masaoka's role with the JACL during World War II is controversial, and as such, he dedicates much of his memoir to explaining his reasoning and justifying his decisions when he and other JACL leaders chose to, as he puts it, support government policy instead of opposing the evacuation orders. He describes his role in the decision to create an all-Nisei army battalion, and recounts his own experiences in Europe where he served as a press officer whose responsibility included publicizing the exploits of the
442nd Regimental Combat Team
.

His chapters on his career following World War II focus on his work as a lobbyist in Washington, D.C. who specialized in promoting Japanese business interests in the U.S., as well as pressuring lawmakers to vote to change discriminatory legislation that had hampered Japanese American success in the U.S.

Author Background

Mike Masaoka was an important leader of the Japanese American Citizens League and a Washington lobbyist whose legacy in Japanese American history is both substantial and controversial. He is best known for strongly advocating for complete cooperation with the government's orders to Japanese Americans to leave their communities, as well as his endorsement of Nisei serving in the U.S. military in order to prove Japanese American loyalty to their nation.

Response

Mike Masaoka was a galvanizing figure in the Japanese American community, and reactions to his memoir mirrored prevailing opinions about him. This is probably best exemplified in the lengthy exchange of opinions in the pages of the JACL's official organ, the
Pacific Citizen
, as well as letters submitted to the editor, in the months following the memoir's publication. On one side, reviews such as those by then-Japan Society president David MacEachron (reprinted from the
New York Times
), Peter Horinaka (reprinted from the
Dayton Daily News
),
Harry Honda
, and
Bill Hosokawa
(co-author of the book) praised Masaoka for his significant contributions to the community and American history, as well as characterizing the memoir as a valuable account of the behind-the-scenes negotiations of the most trying times for the Japanese American community. On the other side, Frank Chin (reprinted from the
San Jose Mercury News
),
William Hohri
, and Lane Hirabayashi denounced Masaoka and the JACL for heavy-handed tactics during World War II and a concerted effort to dismiss and subvert efforts to give those who did reject cooperation with the government—the plaintiffs in the
coram nobis
cases as well as the
draft resisters
—equal consideration in the conventional narrative of Japanese American history during World War II. The division of opinion over Masaoka's legacy extended to letters to the editor; some, including Bill Hosokawa, strongly objected to the
Pacific Citizen'
s decision to reprint Frank Chin's highly critical assessment of Masaoka. Others, including
Aiko and Jack Herzig
and
Frank Emi
, praised the
Pacific Citizen
for presenting diverse viewpoints and publishing a reassessment of one of the institution's best-known leaders as well as the organization itself.

This article also appears in the Densho Encyclopedia, a free on-line resource covering the key concepts, people, events, and organizations that played a role in the forced removal and incarceration of Japanese Americans during World War II.

Genre

Chronology

Geography

Theme

Availability

Free On Web

Teacher Guide

This article also appears in the Densho Encyclopedia, a free on-line resource covering the key concepts, people, events, and organizations that played a role in the forced removal and incarceration of Japanese Americans during World War II.

This material is based upon work assisted by a grant from the U.S. Department of the Interior, National Park Service. Any opinions, findings, and conclusions or recommendations expressed in this material are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of the U.S. Department of the Interior.

Useful Links

The Resource Guide to Media on the Japanese American Removal and Incarceration is a free project of Densho. Our mission is to preserve the testimonies of Japanese Americans who were unjustly incarcerated during World War II before their memories are extinguished. We offer these irreplaceable firsthand accounts, coupled with historical images and teacher resources, to explore principles of democracy, and promote equal justice for all.